Pride's a Mask
by Mariba
Summary: 6th year. Hermione has an encounter with Draco to find she had been right: There was something really off about Draco Malfoy. What it was, she was going to find out. When she does, how will things change? Draco finds himself encountering Hermione more and more. Was it some sick twist, or help from above? "I've learned to see past that little mask you put up for the world."
1. Escape and Encounter

_**Hello, I'm Marie. **  
_

_**This story takes place after Ron's Victory when he thought he was on Felix Felicius and after Lavender kisses him, Hermione storms off. Harry finds her and then shortly after, Ron and Lavender. Hermione gets mad and storms off, but what really happened after she left? **_

_**I will keep a nice, or at least try to, update schedule. The longest I'll take to update is probably a week. My chapters get in faster with reviews. As my old followers know, I can have a long and pretty chapter ready within that day :)**_

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_~Hermione~_

The cheers of Gryffindor rang though the halls as kids fist-pumped and whooped in victory. Today was a bright day, dripped in the spirit of scarlet and gold. Today was Gryffindor's 6th victory over Slytherin. For once, it was not Harry Potter that was on the house's shoulders as they would chant, "Potter! Potter! Potter!" No, no, no. Today was RON WEASLEY's day. For once, it was actually Ron's day to shine. He had waited for this day for a long time.

As everyone chanted "WEASLEY IS OUR KING," which was a spin on the Slytherin's joke, Ron turned as red as his hair. I turned to Harry who was beaming up at his friend, relieved it was his friend's turn in the spotlight.

He had told me how he's tricked Ron to thinking he was on the luck-potion but truly, it was all him. I wanted to squeeze the life out of that boy; he really was a terrific friend.

I tried to hold tears back I was so happy for Ron… Ron, the boy with the smudge on his nose that grew on me like a disease. He grew on me especially 3rd year when I realized actually fancied the goof. I originally had it in for Harry at first, with his interesting and redeeming qualities then… it changed third year when my heart broke seeing the boy with the ginger hair being taken away from me under a tree. It hit me hard that I couldn't imagine him leaving my life.

He had hated me, really, when he met me. He found ways to hurt me too. He was the first to make me cry. I would have never sought to think I would ever fancy him, even after we turned into such close of friends. Life was funny like that.

However, he was so…full of life. He made me laugh. He kept things real when they seemed impossible. And the obvious physical changes over the summer just boosted my feelings for him.

This could be my chance. With all the excitement and celebration, this could be the day I finally took him and planted one on him. I beamed up at him with that goofy grin on his bright face.

I calculated that I should have the chance a minute after he was let down from the Quidditch team's shoulders.

This could be the chance. After six years of being his best friend, this could be the chance things could change for the better or for the worse.

But no. That didn't happen.

Someone had beaten me to it. And this was better than, should I say it, grades… Merlin, it was much… much more than grades. That sounded so foolish...

Lavender Brown had grabbed him with her greedy hands and ate him up with a hungry and lustful kiss.

My stomach did a flip, in the most horrible way. A bad taste formed in my mouth, I blushed, and everything inside me felt like poison. My lip started to tremble as it went agape with surprise. The wolf-whistles and louder cheering began and made me feel just twice as worse.

Time slowed down as my face sank downwards. My heart ached and my eyes dried up, preparing to grow misty with tears.

The scene that played out in front of me seemed so unreal. Unreal because I... I didn't think Ron would actually kiss her back. _She-she was a creep! I thought he hated her!_

My heart pounded as my eyes were glued on the scene.

_Snap out of it Ron,_ _snap out of it! Please! This isn't real, there is no way… no…_

I bit my lip.

I had enough. I spun on my heel and brushed Harry's shoulder as I stormed out.

Annoyance and melancholy fell down on me. Tears welled up in my eyes. All I knew is was I wanted to get away from the Common Room as fast as I could. Away from it all. Away from everyone before they saw me like this.

My lip trembled more and I clasped her hand over it. I started to walk faster and the pictures I walked by started to whisper.

_What is wrong with the Granger-Girl? I haven't seen her like this since second year. Girls need to get a rest. What is it? _

Whispers and whispers and whispers... I COULDN'T TAKE IT!

I sat down in an empty class room, pacing back in forth with my wand gripped tight in my hand.

"_Avis_." I summoned birds out of my wand and watched the graceful figures fly in the air. I sniffled with my hand to my mouth.

I hopped on top of the desk and concentrated on the paper-like birds that tweeted and chirped above me and let those sounds of fluttering and chirping consume my mind.

_Focus on the spell, Hermione. Forget about... him._

But I couldn't. He kept coming back. The image burned into my skull, him kissing Lavender Brown.

Tears started to streak down my face and I quickly tried to brush them off.

_This is ridiculous. Ron is... not worth it. Maybe we should… maybe we should just stay friends. Maybe this is some form of events that should tell me to stop feeling that way for him. That it wouldn't work out. Heck, didn't he just realize I was a girl? _

I went on and on with my thoughts, trying to bring myself up. Trying to convince myself of so many things but the image of Ron and Lavender kept bringing me down. I felt broken. I was strong for so long, looking in the mirror feeling confident that one day I would be noticed by Ron like how I was noticed at the Yule Ball. I thought I was getting somewhere.

That's the thing about life. As soon as you think you're getting somewhere you spin in another direction. That's why it's so hard to keep your hopes up because high expectations result to low reality. No one said life was fair, and there is no proof for it.

It liked to crash down on you in hard ways. Life isn't a picnic. It's an on-going thing where you have to watch where you step because there is booby-traps and illusions… and definitely heartbreak for sure.

I started to think of the words my mum always told me, "When life gets hard, it means you're getting stronger. Life never gives you more than you can handle and if it's hard than that must mean you're a really strong person. Whenever something bad happens, it means something good is coming around the corner. You have to have bad to appreciate the good."

This cheered me up a bit but didn't stop the aching inside. I returned to my birds, trying to concentrate and block out everything else.

I took a breath then.

_I'm Hermione Granger, I've seen death. I've seen disaster. I've seen some of the worse. I'm no Harry Potter, but… this shouldn't affect me this much. It's stupid. It's…it's pathetic._

"Hermione?" A voice interrupted my thoughts.

I faced the intruder of my thoughts— Harry.

Someone did care after all.

"Oh, hello, Harry," I said, hating how my cracked voice sounded to my best friend. "I was just practicing…"

"Yeah… they're—er—really good…" He stammered, trying to be cautious.

I flexed my jaw, "Ron seems to be enjoying the celebrations."

"Er…does he?" Said Harry, trying to be innocent.

"Don't pretend you didn't see him. He wasn't exactly hiding it, was—"

The door of the classroom burst open with none-other Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown, holding hands. I bet he knew I was in here, just wanting to show off. Just to rub it in my face. Just to break my heart.

"Oh," He said, seeing us. Lavender giggled out of the room going 'Oops'.

There was an awkward tension in the air and my face grew hot and cold at the same time. I gave him a dark, cold look worthy of a Slytherin with the flock of birds circling around my head. I could feel the magic within me, wanting to spike up, wanting to release the tension building inside.

"You shouldn't leave Lavender waiting outside," I said in a low, dangerous whisper, "She'll wonder where you've gone."

Heat built up in my face as I stood up, hands gripping on my wand so hard my knuckles were turning white. _They were so darn perfect together with their stupid, preposterous, ridiculous_—

I walked towards the door, stiffly trying to keep my cool. Then… I saw Ron relax, which pulled the trigger.

"_Oppugno!"_ I snapped at the doorway. I had a wild look on my face as I pointed my wand at Ron. The birds spun around and went directly towards him, attacking and clawing his face and everywhere else. I flexed my jaw and clenched my teeth as I spun around to leave. I let out a whimper as I heard the flock of birds attacked my friend.

I was so irritated!

I glanced over at Lavender who was swaying, waiting for her _boyfriend_.

I made another irritated noise out of my nose as I glided down the hallway trying to bring as much of a distance between me and them. When I thought I was out of sight I brought a hand to my lips and started to softly cry. I took long, determined strides up and down the corridors, and making quick turns.

I needed to get away. I needed to get far away.

Suddenly I slammed into someone, a tall and warm body. I let out a gasp as we crashed into each other.

"Hey, watch it!" They said.

I rubbed my hands quickly over my face, "S—sorry, I was… I was just—"

"You better be," _Oh no, I knew that voice now. _"you filthy, little mudblood."

I closed my eyes tight, concealing the fire behind and flexed my jaw.

No matter how many times… that word, that one word just killed me inside. I didn't care being called ugly because I was better than that. I could change how I looked on the outside if I ever thought it to be really true. If someone didn't like my personality, I could act different. But no… you couldn't change your blood. It was a permanent status. It made me feel rotten, inhuman, and inferior. It gave me a bad taste in my mouth.

"Malfoy…I'm _so _not in the mood." I managed between my teeth.

"You honestly think I care what mood you're in? You frizzy-hair-OH!" He flew back ten feet and crashed into the wall, his blonde hair now dripping in front of his face.

"I said… I'm not IN THE MOOD!" I lowered my wand, breathing heavily at the stupid boy.

I frowned slightly, _my hair wasn't frizzy anymore._ Just that one comment replaced my anger. I nearly forgot the original reason for being mad.

Malfoy blew his hair out of his face, and came up to his feet. As he dusted himself off, I couldn't help notice how much he truly grew, and not a skinny little kid anymore. Still as much of a prat though. I shook my head and kept walking. _Now I had to get distance from him too._

"Wait a minute Granger! I'm not done with you!"

He followed after me down the hallway and all the way to the gardens.

_What was the matter with him? Could he never just let things drop? It's as though he had nothing better to do._ I whipped around, aggravated to find him still there, not caring, it not even crossing his mind that sometimes people weren't in the mood and needed to be left alone. He was such… such an arse! He couldn't care less about anything!

As I turned around my wavy hair swept to my shoulder, "What do you want Malfoy?" I snapped.

Malfoy smirked with a dark glint in his eye, holding up his own wand, "Tactus ignis!"

A reddish light came out of his wand and I dogged it just in time, holding up my own wand and cast my spell. It was a violet light that wrapped around his ankles and slammed him to the ground.

"Wow, you're honestly picking a fight with someone who already feels like rubbish! Just like you Malfoy!" I screamed.

On the ground, he scrambled behind a pillar then pointed his wand at me, shooting another spell which got me. I let out a as I felt like a hundred insects bit her me on a small part of my arm. I held onto the spot for a moment and winced in pain. I took an angry breath then flicked my wand back at him. He needed to be disarmed, or he was actually trying to hurt me.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ I flickered my wand as soon as Malfoy was in sight, hitting him square in the chest, making some of his blonde hair fly back.

His wand tumbled to the ground and he hid behind the pillar again, and he cursed.

"What now, Malfoy? You don't have your wand! What are you going to do now?" I said, shaking with fury. "Hmm? WHAT CAN YOU DO?!"

Malfoy rolled on the ground and grabbed his wand quickly, cursing once more under his breath. I tilted my head in short awe to figure out that he'd been cursing in Italian, French, and— I need to focus right now.

"Why are you picking a fight with me?" I shouted, prepared for his next attack with my wand out at a professional angle.

"Why not?" He snapped holding out his wand casually.

"Why not? Are you not listening to me? I'm not in the mood!" My face felt hot and angry. This boy…this pestering little twit. He just couldn't get it through his thick head.

He snarled, "You honestly think I care what _mood _you're in, Granger?"

"Wow, you literally have nothing better to do, how sad."

He rolled his eyes in a way that made my gut tighten, "I have plenty of other things better to do than waste my time on you."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" I shouted and cast a spell at his feet.

Soon there was an ongoing battle of spells which missed each other by just inches. I couldn't help be impressed with Malfoy's dueling skills. I didn't know he was actually a good caster. The number of spells he had was extraordinary. Soon it seemed as though it was more for sport than an actual fight.

That is until he said, "Where's the rest of the Golden Trio, mudblood? Potter and Weaslebee kick you out of their adventures or something? Find a new girl to depend on? After all, Weasley's now apparently a star he could probably get—"

My eyes lit up in rage and I summoned a very powerful spell that made him spin around then hit the ground at full-force, causing his limbs to contract for a second as if there were ropes pulling him from all sides. I never thought I'd ever use such dark magic, but Godric he was asking for it. I hope word didn't catch onto Harry, I'd been giving him a lot of word on that matter. I was just a total hypocrite today, wasn't I?

"I . Told. You. I. Wasn't. In. The. Mood!" With each word, I applied a different hex; leaving Malfoy on the ground bouncing with each spell in pain. "I'VE HAD A PRETTY RUBBISH DAY AND NOW YOUR'E HERE JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT WORSE!" I took a breath and stopped the spell and said in a cracked voice that broke me even more to have him hear, "What do you want from me?"

I dropped my wand to the ground and clasped both my hands to my eyes that rained down sobbing cries.

Why did I just let my guard down? My wand is on the ground and the prat can easily kill me now. I wiped my eyes and looked up to find him staring down at me with those piercing silver eyes. My breath caught and I tried to grab my wand but gave up.

"You know what, do whatever. I don't care. I—" I took a breath and sat up and put my elbow on my knee and held my face in my hand. I looked back up at him to see his wand pointed at me. "Go on. Curse me, hex me, kill me, whatever. I honestly couldn't care less at this point."

He frowned slightly, confliction crossing his face.

"Go on!" I snapped, "What are you waiting for? I just humiliated Draco Malfoy, the Prince of Prats. Now, you have a golden opportunity. I'm weak and wandless, isn't that what you want? To cause me pain? Constantly cause me pain? I feel like rubbish on the inside, why not make me hurt on the outside too? Or would you rather just talk trash? Is that all you are, Malfoy? All talk and no action?"

He blinked at me and for a moment he let his face fall, his guard was down. I was about to grab my wand again but he flicked his wand at my hand, stopping me with a strike of pain, "You're only rubbish on the inside because your blood is rubbish, Granger. Hence, mudblood."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "There you go, talking trash and not doing anything else. You're so pathetic."

He pressed his lips together, "I'm pathetic? You're the one who's a sobbing mess. You're the one who dropped your wand!"

I dropped my hand from the bridge of my nose and stared at him, flabbergasted. I took a deep breath and clapped my hands to my knees and then stood up, coming face to face with him.

Our faces were an inch apart when I snapped, "You'll never know what it's like to be hurt. You'll never know what it's like to have your heart broken. And if you ever do, you'll understand what it's like to feel weak, you'll understand how that pain is enough to make someone drop their wand."

He blinked at me, confused. Then, as always he had to try and have the upper hand with that ridiculous smirk, "Is this about Weasley?"

I bit my lip, _Even Malfoy noticed. Now this is just sad._

"It is." He smiled like a shark.

"It is none of your business, ferret." I snapped then bit the inside of my lip harder. A sharp look crossed his eyes and he looked angrier. Good to know it still had an effect on him.

"You're just confirming it more and more. Look at you, you're blushing. Hermione Granger… _blushing_… never thought I'd see the day." He snickered cruelly, making me feel on edge, "Why aren't you with the ginger right now?"

I frowned and pursed my lips and gave him a hard shoulder, shoving past him, which just made him snicker once more. I felt so awful as it was and he found a way to make me feel shoddier in a different means.

I was about to leave when I heard him holler behind me, "Hey Granger!"

I spun around to find that he was holding my wand in his hand. He gestured it to me. My eyebrow came up but I kept my guard up. _Why would he even bother to give me my wand back? Why didn't I even remember it? Very foolish of me, really. Gah, I was such an idiot sometimes. Still, I would have expected him to kick it into the Black Lake for a good laugh at me, the mudblood. _

He then made his way towards me, seeing how I wasn't moving.

"You forgot this, it's not something you really want lying around, is it?" He held it out to me and I quickly grabbed it. He, however, kept his hold on it.

"Give it to me, Malfoy." I snapped, keeping my hold on my wand, tugging it slightly to try and get it out of his hold. My heart raced faster, "What is this about?"

His face was closer now. The pause helped me scan his face, something I didn't really do. My heart slowed down. My head tilted slightly and I observed the features he had. His skin was paler, almost ill-looking. Dark, restless shadows under his eyes. His lips were chapped too but I quickly looked up, not wanting anything close to that feature.

Alright, there was something off about Draco Malfoy, rather than his angular face. I scanned his eyes, wanting to know what his problem was.

"Give it here, Malfoy." I said through my teeth and tugged on it once more.

He let go, "You should head up to your dorm."

"I could say the same for you." I snapped and dropped my wand to my side as I took a step back. "That's the real question isn't it? What are you doing here?"

"Messing with you, of course, mudblood."

I pursed my lips, "You're avoiding the question with retorts."

His eyebrow twitched.

I asked him again, "What were you doing out of your dorm. I had my reasons. What were yours? Pouting on losing a match?"

"I do not pout, and I certainly don't go off sobbing down corridors looking for attention like you Granger."

I glared at him and he just glared back. We both stood our ground. "I wasn't looking for attention. I was looking for an escape."

Something changed in Malfoy's face. The best way I could describe it was an understanding. His shoulders slumped a bit more instead of that square-build he was keeping up when he wanted to appear proud and 'superior', as he called it.

"That's what you were doing it, wasn't it? Trying to escape." I stated out loud, and then my mind put the two and two together, "That's why you came after me. You wanted to escape. What are you trying to escape from, Malfoy?" I asked softly. What could Draco Malfoy be trying to escape from?

His face fell and he blinked around to make sure we were the only two. I looked around with him; it's surprising no one heard our little fight. I met his eyes again and locked onto them.

He looked at me differently and gave me a once-over like he was just noticing me. Suddenly his mask went back up, "None of your business, Granger. And if you were smart, you'd stay out of it." He fixed his tie and then spun on his heel and walked away from me with long strides.

Fine. Figures he wouldn't spill. Surprised he was able to tolerate the most civil conversation I've ever had with him…

_That's a lie…_

Right before I went to leave in the opposite direction, I glanced at his figure which was growing smaller as he made his way from me. I took a breath and my hard features fell into a sympathetic look.

We weren't always like this. There was a time when Draco and I were friends. It was short-lived. Only a short time and then we drifted apart once I befriended Harry and Ron. But still… there was a time.

He probably forgot, obliviated it from his memory most likely. Wouldn't want to remember where there was a time he'd ever consider befriending a mudblood like me.

I sighed and twirled my wand in my hands. It was the past, it was six years ago. It shouldn't be remembered. If anything, it was a dream and she I woke into a nightmare where we hated each other. And there was no way in changing that was there?

Still… I couldn't help this odd feeling, this preposterous feeling in my gut that I couldn't grasp. I tried to shake it off.

No. It was there.

I was worried about Draco Malfoy. And I needed to figure out what was going on with him.

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	2. Everything in Flames

_**i am so so so so so so (says 'so' a million more times) sorry for the delay. I've been caught up in moving and -insert excuses here- I told you guys i would update two weeks tops and I usually am like that or within a day but I've been slacking and I apologize greatly.**  
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_**So yeah, this chapter doesn't really make up for what i did but I try :) It's all Draco and full of yummy angst.**_

_**Enjoy :)**_

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_~Draco~_

How did she even know? How could she, a mudblood, even grasp on the idea that there was no way she could possibly get what was wrong with me? Ha! Grasp on it? That would suggest allowing her to even have the _privilege_ of even getting the slightest idea, the slightest direction to what was happening. What a ridiculous thought: Hermione Granger and the Golden Bloody Trio finding out about my mission, of their inevitable downfall. I would go straight to Dumbledore himself and confess everything happening before I would ever tell _her_ of all people.

I tightened my mouth hard and felt rage just flood behind my eyes. I was so bloody pissed off. I just wanted to get all this over with!

I clenched his knuckles until they turned white. I would have punched a wall but that was obviously a stupid thing to due since they were rocky stone walls. I rolled his my eyes, annoyed.

I took a sharp breath as he turned a corner. To the Astronomy Tower I went. I would have gone there sooner but… the bump in with Mudblood Granger stalled me.

My brow went down slightly, looking back on everything.

_Why_ did I follow after her? I could have just dropped it. She was just an annoying mudblood having a bad day. Why should it even matter? No, instead I had to go pick a fight with her.

It was entertaining, that was it. Something to get my mind off things.

Wrong place, wrong time. That was it.

But why did my stomach feel like it was in knots?

I shook myself out of it and tried to loosen my tie, feeling like it was choking me. I was just so damn stressed, with everything; the mission mostly. How could I even concentrate on schoolwork with everything going on? Why did school even matter? What was the point? The whole bloody school was damned as far as I know. The Dark Lord was going to win, why bother? I was either going to be the villain or the martyr. I was going to either survive with guilt or die with shame. My family with me.

This was just a part of the plan, that's what I had to keep in mind. No distractions. I had to play the average student or people would get suspicious. And I couldn't have people getting suspicious now, could I? I would be thrown into Azkaban or worse in the snap of a finger.

I was Chosen; selected above everyone. He trusted me for some reason, that's why I got this mission.

I chuckled darkly outloud. How thick that sounded now.

Chosen?

Yeah, chosen for a suicide mission yes.

I sucked in my lips to keep them from trembling.

I wasn't thick. I knew what was happening. My father had disappointed the Dark Lord and that wouldn't go unpunished. So, how could he hurt him? Sacrifice his only son.

Chosen… a fake title to make it seem like something to be bloody proud of, like the scar on Harry Potter's forehead, instead I was left with an ugly tattoo on my forearm.

This mission… I fell for it when I first heard it. I was shocked that I was chosen. I started to think: Make sense, they need someone on the inside. Snape was not trusted and it would be too obvious. Crabbe and Goyle were beyond dim-witted so that would be idiotic. Me? I seemed to fit the job. I could be worthy of something: not live in Potter's shadow, but be a… different kind of Chosen One.

Then… during my ceremony to becoming a Death Eater… I saw it in my father's eyes. I had glanced at him just before the Dark Lord himself put his ruddy wand to my arm. I saw the melancholy cross his eyes, the worry, the pain… and I felt sick. It was too late, the mark forever tattooed itself into my skin, and the dark magic spreading until the ugly picture was complete. It hurt, but I tried not to show it. It still hurts. A feeling of numbness and stinging to remind me it was always there, always haunting me, always reminding me of its existence and all it represented.

Everyone but me at the time knew I was going to fail. When I saw my father's eyes before they quickly changed into a mask of pride, I knew what was expected of me.

…I would prove them wrong. I could do this. This wouldn't have to be a suicide mission.

The cabinet though… it needed much more work than I thought. But I had it… I had to have it.

"_If you so much as screw up in the slightest way and they discover my intentions: You and your family… everyone you would care for… will parish, my dear boy. I don't take things lightly. Neither does my snake Nagini. If you fail, she will be the only one to have a nice ending, if you get what I mean. You were chosen, don't forget that. Don't disappoint me. I have my trust in you."_

I took in shallow breaths on the way up the spiral staircase up to the Astronomy Tower. It was a bit of a workout to get up there but it was worth it.

I pointed my wand at the door lock, "Alohomora."

The wooden door opened for me and I stepped out in the clearing.

"Anyone in here?" I called out, making sure I was alone to think. I couldn't risk letting my guard down while some idiot was prying around.

It was empty. Not a soul, only the whisper of the cool wind outside. I turned and closed the door tight behind me and slowly made out to the opening. It was a brilliant place to think. It was one of the only places at this forsaken school that I enjoyed, not because it made me feel happy or anything ridiculous like that. It didn't even make me feel peaceful, it was the opposite: it set me on the edge. Made my bones chilled and woke my mind up to everything.

As I gripped on the railing and let the cool wind brush through my blonde hair I glared at the clearing. I always forgot how grand this place was until I could see it all at once. Everywhere else felt like a prison where there would be someone to watch my every bloody move, judge me and be judged. Here…I was alone.

It reminded me of the reality of it all.

Here, I knew I was alone. Here, I knew how insignificant my existence truly was. With the stars, which are just balls of gas light-years away slowly burning out through time, I am reminded I'm just another person on this vacant earth. I took a deep breath of cool air and let it fill up my lungs. I hunched over and looked around, imagining everything burning.

That's how it was going to be. Destroyed. Taken over.

Because of me.

I was a traitor to this place I used to call home.

Looking at the lake, I think back to when I was just eleven years old with a giant, innocent smile on my face. I remember just being utterly fascinated by this place.

If only I could be that innocent again.

No, no. It was much better to be aware. No having to be so naïve about things, but know the reality around me. I would have been more prepared. I would have listened twice as much. I would have been a male book-worm Granger.

I frowned and gripped harder to the railing, barmy with myself for the past. I had wasted so much time. I had set myself up for this with every decision I made.

What if… what if this was for the better? To be the villain.

As if I could ever be the hero. I was the bully, the prat, the Father's Boy… everyone hated me. I preferred it like that. Make less friends, less people that you have to depend on. Less people you have to worry about. Better to have everyone hate you than look up to you. I would never live up to anyone's expectations. That's asking for more trouble, if you ask me.

Just look at Potter. He's the school hero; everyone is infatuated with him and his fame. But, if he screws up once, everyone hates him and he's broken with only a few friends. Me? I screw up and it's something that people know happens. Constant hate. If I ever did something good, that would be a shocker. That would go down in history.

Who am I kidding? It would be brushed off like it never happened. People would delete the memory from their minds. It would be forced never to remember any redeeming quality about me, the Malfoy boy. No one expects anything from me, and to expect something unexpected is to go unwritten despite all.

People are just thirsty for someone to depend on, someone to blame. They always say they want to be the hero or be friends with the hero… everyone wants a bloody hero. Well… to be a hero, there needs to be a villain, doesn't there? To make the hero look good. If the hero screws up, people then crave the flaws. People are vile and if anyone says they're anything else, they're kidding themselves.

There is a light cough behind me and I turn around, wand ready.

"Granger?" I spat, utterly confused why she came back for more.

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